While Mike was mowing East Center Valley Prairie, I checked on the two nest boxes we have behind the house.
I read an article recently saying that Screech Owls like a 4 1/2 inch hole so that they can sit on the rim – the hole in ours is only 3 inches, so I thought I would take the house down and enlarge the hole. I didn’t realize how well secured the box is to the tree! So instead of taking it down, I leaned the ladder on the front of the box, and sawed out the hole. It was pretty precarious, and hot, and hard work, so it’s not very neat – but hopefully the owl won’t mind. I made the hole taller – it’s about 4 1/2 inches tall now, but it’s still about 3 inches wide.

The box had a nest in it but no occupants. I don’t think it’s a Screech Owl nest because it’s very carefully made, with a round hollow depression, and a rim of shredded bark. I’m wondering if it was made by Flying Squirrels.

I also checked the Flicker Box. The sawdust inside was very wet – I think the water runs into the crack at the back of the roof, so I caulked the crack with clear, flexible caulk, and removed all the wet sawdust. I’ll let it dry out for a week or two, and then fill it with dry sawdust. It had a small area hollowed out near the entrance hole, but no evidence of use.